The challenges of being on city council

The city council candidates talk about what they anticipate will be some of the biggest challenges they may face if elected. Several incumbents discuss the challenges they faced in their earlier years on council.

Larry Ashcroft: When you are new on council, it takes a while to find out what resources are available to you through the city’s administration for information on current business before council, and for the new ideas you want to bring forward. Administration is always very helpful, so it's just a matter of time.

Bob Buckle: In my early years, (on city council) it was about trying to get our regional neighbors and the provincial government to understand that, without additional revenues, our city was not sustainable and unable to properly provide for its citizens. This was no small feat and required a strategic vision and action plan to accomplish. Negotiations, presentations and meetings seemed endless but ultimately succeeded and forever changed the trajectory of the city for the better. As it stands today some of our regional neighbors and the current Alberta government are looking to renege on the promises made. It will be vitally important for the next council to hold the province accountable to the deal they made and the sustainable funding agreed to in the original agreement.

Jurgen Grau: Some of the greatest challenges facing the community is the renegotiation of ID 349 and the poor relationships that have developed in the region. The economic impact of the air weapons range on Cold Lake is undeniable, but I do feel that meeting some of our goals and challenges also depends on regional cooperation. Crime isn’t a local issue but a regional one. Growing the economy with tourism is best done as a region. I think as we grow closer, the efficiencies of working together will become more and more obvious. As a city councilor, when I check my boxes before voting on an issue, I will, of course, first and foremost, consider what is best for our community. With that said, the last box should always consider the impact on those around us.

Chris Hiebert: I think city council faces challenges every day. Whether it be tax increases, road maintenance priorities, or city bylaws, city council has to make difficult decisions. I anticipate that this next council will be challenged by regional cooperation, fiscal sustainability, and infrastructure upgrades. All of these areas will take thoughtful consideration to navigate the potentially muddy waters.

Duane Lay: The biggest challenge for Cold Lake was being one of the highest taxed municipalities in the province. We did not have enough revenue to address our infrastructure needs. Our council and the mayor were able to reach an agreement with the provincial government to receive funding from the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range.

Lorie Jacobsen: Challenges are going to arise over the Range funding. Cold Lake needs to stay firm to the deal that was made and not back down.

Kirk Soroka: I expect my first challenge will be overcoming gaps in my knowledge of the city’s existing projects, priorities and budgeting and why we are where we are today. The second challenge will be learning about the other councillors and who they are. Having only one vote, it will be necessary to have respectable working relationship with the other councillors. To overcome these first two challenges, I plan to commit myself to the administrations post-election training sessions and will ask hard questions, specifically on the concerns I’ve heard from other citizens. It is during this initial period and informal atmosphere that I hope to garner credibility with and a better understanding of the other councillors’ views on the most important issues.

Vicky Lefebvre: Our biggest challenge is solidifying the ID 349 funding to keep Cold Lake sustainable. We started working on annexation a few years into our first term and it should be coming to fruition in 2018 hopefully. Another challenge we have is recruitment and retention of doctors and obtaining professional for family services and mental health etc. We get some new doctors and some leave, but we are persistent and will continue to advocate.

Chris Vining: When I came on council I never knew how important building strong relationships with the provincial government and neighbouring municipalities was in achieving community goals. This became very apparent in the securing of our agreement on ID 349 (the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range). It is also proving to be a tremendous challenge in getting a permanent agreement signed but I feel we are very close. Our relationship with the MD of Bonnyville has improved greatly over the seven years which was proven by our annexation agreement that is awaiting approval by the province. However, the new Municipal Government Act is going to force our two councils to work more collaboratively than ever before. This will be a very positive step for both of us if we all come together with our citizens in mind and put history and egos (on both sides of the aisle) aside.